Finally, the Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh successfully concluded the registration process of political parties on October 20 for proposed December general election. Parties including Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had many objections against the newly reformed Representation of Peoples Order (RPO), which is the base of registration with EC.
With all limitations, government and political parties were able to reach at a point of agreement that registration is essential for parliamentary election in due time and this realisation makes the EC initiative a success.
Though political parties have submitted application forms for registrations on scheduled time that was on October 15 and later extended to 20th, a row of confusions is still prevailing on the holding of parliamentary election on time that has been fixed up on December 18, 2008 by the military-backed interim government. It is expected that final schedule will be announced in the first half of November from EC.
As a matter of fact, theoretically all political parties are convinced to join in the election but practically the interim government and the politicians are involved in a game of benefits.
Political parties, especially AL and BNP, are trying to make sure that the key leaders of respective parties will be allowed to participate in the election. They also want to see that the state of emergency has been withdrawn totally, and finally they want to achieve the total supremacy of politicians over the governance system.
On the other hand, the military-backed interim government need to see some of the politicians, including the pivotal two, are not participating in election as the government needs to justify the initiatives taken after January 11, 2007.
The interim government also needs the assurance of smooth handover of power and legitimate exit from the responsibility. Political Observers said that as the people of Bangladesh are very eager to see a normal governance system under political parties, government and politicians must comply with the people and have to overcome the mistrust prevailing between the two sides.
Political observers and analysts mentioned that political parties have not finished the ground level preparation for election yet, while parties are making confusions by their behaviour as well. It is mentionable that very recently BNP general secretary told to the press that his party went for registration with EC just because to protect the party from a disaster.
AL said in public that if EC or interim government failed to hold parliamentary election on December 18, they would be on the street to restore democracy in the country.
Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), a political party emerged after January 11, 2007 popularly termed as ‘kings party’, recently said in a press conference that nothing hurry to hold a parliamentary election in this December. Rather this set of interim government should resign and a new interim government should be constituted that government will perform few reform initiative and hold election within 90 days of their formation.
Dr. Kamal Hussain, a renowned jurist and Chief of Gono Fouram, said in recent past that the Country is not running by the Zamindars (Land Lords); big parties and government are not Zamindars. Election is not a matter of the willingness of Zamindars; it is a demand of people, a process of governance and democracy. As Bangladesh running through an extra constitutional era, these types of utterings from the politicians make the people confused about the fate of election i.e. the fate of democracy, the Observers added.
To overcome the confusions, the United Nations (UN) is on the board now. By the time local UN high officials have met with major political parties and authorities and requested them to be in the process of a credible election in due time.
UN Secretary General also has a plan to visit Bangladesh on November 01 for two days. All concerned are seeing this visit a very significant considering the present political scenario of Bangladesh. UN Secretary General schedules to meet President, Chief Advisor, Advisor for Foreign Ministry and Army Chief during his stay in Dhaka.
Political Analysts said that UN Secretary General is coming Dhaka to reaffirm the UN commitment to support for a credible election in Bangladesh, as UN system eager to see the election acceptable to the people of Bangladesh and to the International Community. Analysts also mentioned that with all consideration, power factors of Bangladesh have a good intention to hold election in time. This intention and the eagerness of people must show the way the power factors to the December 18 datelines.
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